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(No Model.)

J. HQCUTTEN. THREAD GUARD FOR SEWING MACHINES. No. 447,280.

Patented Feb. 24, 1891.

2), c i I ET-' Frg.z MTA/ESEES. I I //vv'/v 727E- ZZJZ Zy 6' W wow my 7 WW UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. OUTTEN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE DAVIS- MOORE SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

THREAD-GUARD FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,280, dated February 24, 1891.

Application filed March 27, 1890. Serial No. 345,504. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES H. CUTTEN, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines, of which the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention has for its object, for co-op'eration with a shuttle and hooked needle, both of which are below the work-plate, a vibrating thread-guard, which is in contact with the shuttle as its point approaches the loop of needle-thread, and which serves to hold the shuttle-thread in proper position and to prevent the point of the shuttle from passing in front of said shuttle-thread, all as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the front end of the lower part of a wax-thread sewing-machine embodying my invention; and Figs. 2 and 3 are side and top views of the same, respectively.

A denominates the frame of the machine, to which is pivoted, at b, a lever B, in which reciprocates vertically the needle-bar 0, carrying the hooked needle 0, said needle-bar being operated from the arm or lever 0' through the link 0 which has a ball-and-socket connection with the end of the arm 0 and with a stud 0 on the needle-bar.

D is an oscillating or rotary shuttle, which is operated in any usual manner.

H is the work-plate, and the needle-bar and shuttle are both below the same.

E is a lever pivoted on a screweand carrying at its upper end the spring-guard e. The beak or point (I of the shuttle is inclined or curved outward, as shown, Fig. 3, and the extremity of the spring-guard e is curved inward. From this construction of these parts it results that when the beak or point of the shuttle reaches a certain point in its forward movementthat is, in its movement toward the loop of threadit comes in contact with the inward1ycurved extremity'of the springguard e, and may press that part of the guard e slightly outward. The shuttle-thread indicated by the dotted line f, Fig. 1, is therefore always held away from the point of the shuttle by the end of the spring-guard e, which,

as the point of the shuttle advances toward the loop of needle-thread, moves forward, or to the left in Fig. 1, and behind or inside to line of the shuttle-thread, thus holding the latter away from the beak of the shuttle. If the spring-guard e were not present, the beak of the shuttle as it approaches the loop of needle-thread might catch the shuttle-thread, which at this moment would be almost directly in its path or even slightly inside of its path, and if the beak of the shuttle were to pass in front or outside of this shuttlethread the latter would be broken. It is desirable when the shuttle is in certain positions to have the spring-guard 6 back (or to the right in Fig. 1) out of the way, otherwise it would interfere with the loop of needlethread, and for this purpose it is given a vibrating movement parallel to the movement of the shuttle, or approximately so, as follows: Fis a rock-shaft and f is an arm thereon, and to the said arm are secured the plates or arms 9 g, embracing the said lever E, so that when the shaft F is operated the said lever will be vibrated to advance or retract the springuard e and bring the latter into position when the shuttle-point is advancing to take the loop of needle-thread, thus enabling the guard e to hold the shuttle-thread f out of the line of the beak or point of the shuttle while the latter is passing said thread. As the extremity of the guard 6' lies back or inside of the shuttle-thread f at all times, it will be seen that it is impossible for the said thread to come in contact with the advancing beak of the shuttle, and since the end of the guard e is behind the thread f it is slightly in the path of the shuttle-beak, so that as the shuttle-beak approaches and passes it the guard 6 should be capable of yielding slightly to permit of the passage of the shuttle-beak. It is thus very desirable, if not absolutely necessary, that the guard a should have some yield or spring.

What I claim is 1. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with an oscillating or rotary shuttle and a needle, of a vibrating threadrg'uard arranged to press against the front or outer face of the said shuttle and operated independently thereof, said thread-guard vibrating in a dithe front or outer face of the shuttle and cooperating with the beak of the latter to prevent said beak from catching the shuttlethread, and the vibrating; lever E, carrying said thread-guard and moving back and forth parallel to the plane of movement of the shuttle, said lever being operated independently of the shuttle, as set forth.

JAMES H. CUTTEN.

itnesses:

WM. A. MAcLEon, ROBERT WALLACE. 

